Golf club head

Abstract

A golf club head comprises a sole, a recessed sole port in the sole; and a rotatably adjustable sole piece adapted to be at least partially received within the sole port and comprising a central body having a plurality of contact surfaces adapted to contact the sole port and being offset from each other along a central axis extending through the central body of the sole piece. The sole piece can be positioned at least partially within the sole port at five or more rotational and axial positions with respect to the central axis, wherein at each rotational position, at least one of said contact surfaces of the central body contacts the sole port to set the axial position of the sole piece. The sole port and/or the sole piece can be generally pentagonal in shape.

We claim: 
     
       1. A golf club head, comprising:
 a body, comprising a face, a crown, a sole, a skirt region, a hosel, and a body interior surface defining an interior cavity; 
 a channel formed in the body along the sole of the body, wherein the channel has a channel interior surface that partially defines the interior cavity of the body; 
 at least one weight member slidably engaged with and positioned at least partially within the channel; 
 a plurality of ribs protruding from the body interior surface and fixed directly to the channel interior surface; 
 a passageway that extends from the hosel through the club head and opens at the sole, wherein the passageway is located on a heel end of the body and the passageway is configured to provide passage for an attachment screw; and 
 an adjustable shaft connection system for coupling a shaft to the hosel including a shaft sleeve that is secured by the attachment screw to the hosel, the shaft sleeve is configured to support the shaft at various positions relative to the club head to vary a shaft loft angle and shaft lie angle; 
 wherein adjusting a position of the at least one weight member within the channel through an adjustability range produces a max change in a head origin y-axis (CGy) coordinate that is less than 3 mm throughout the adjustability range, produces a max change in a head origin z-axis (CGz) coordinate that is less than 1.1 mm throughout the adjustability range, and a max change in a head origin x-axis (CGx) coordinate that is greater than 2 mm throughout the adjustability range. 
 
     
     
       2. The golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one rib of the plurality of ribs ties the channel to the skirt region. 
     
     
       3. The golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein the channel extends from a heel-ward portion of the body located heel-ward of a geometric center of the face to a toe-ward portion of the body located toe-ward of the geometric center of the face. 
     
     
       4. The golf club head according to  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of ribs are co-formed with the channel. 
     
     
       5. The golf club head according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the channel comprises at least one ledge extending along the channel; 
 the at least one weight member comprises an outer member and an inner member; 
 the at least one weight member is configured to clamp the at least one ledge between the outer member and the inner member; and 
 at least one of the outer member and the inner member are non-circular. 
 
     
     
       6. The golf club head according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the channel comprises first and second opposing ledges extending within the channel; 
 the at least one weight member comprises an outer member and an inner member; 
 the at least one weight member is configured to clamp the first and second ledges between the outer member and the inner member; and 
 at least one of the outer member and the inner member comprises a central protrusion that extends into a space between the first and second ledges. 
 
     
     
       7. The golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein at least 50 percent of the crown has an areal weight less than 0.4 g/cm 2 . 
     
     
       8. The golf club head according to  claim 7 , wherein at least 50 percent of the sole has an areal weight less than 0.4 g/cm 2 . 
     
     
       9. The golf club head according to  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of ribs are oriented in several different directions. 
     
     
       10. The golf club head according to  claim 9 , wherein at least one rib of the plurality of ribs has a thickness between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm. 
     
     
       11. The golf club head according to  claim 4 , wherein at least 50 percent of the crown has an areal weight less than 0.4 g/cm2. 
     
     
       12. The golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one rib of the plurality of ribs extends across an entirety of the channel interior surface. 
     
     
       13. The golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein a first rib of the plurality of ribs is angled with respect to a second rib of the plurality of ribs. 
     
     
       14. The golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the channel comprises at least one ledge extending along the channel; 
 the at least one weight member comprises an outer member and an inner member; 
 the at least one weight member is configured to clamp the at least one ledge between the outer member and the inner member; 
 at least one of the outer member and the inner member are non-circular; and 
 the channel is recessed, the at least one ledge is located within a recessed portion of the channel, and the outer member and the inner member sit within the recessed portion of the channel. 
 
     
     
       15. The golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the channel comprises a recessed portion and the at least one weight member sits within the recessed portion of the channel. 
 
     
     
       16. The golf club head according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one weight port and at least one weight, and a least a portion of the at least one weight threadedly attaches to the at least one weight port. 
     
     
       17. The golf club head according to  claim 16 , wherein the weight port is located proximate a rear portion of the golf club head. 
     
     
       18. The golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the face comprises a composite face plate. 
     
     
       19. The golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the face has a variable thickness with a maximum face plate thickness greater than 3.0 mm and a minimum face plate thickness less than 3.0 mm. 
     
     
       20. A golf club head, comprising:
 a body, comprising a face, a crown, a sole, a skirt region, a hosel, and a body interior surface defining an interior cavity; 
 a channel formed in the body along the sole of the body, wherein the channel has a channel interior surface that partially defines the interior cavity of the body; 
 at least one weight member slidably engaged with and positioned at least partially within the channel; and 
 a plurality of ribs protruding from the body interior surface and fixed directly to the channel interior surface; 
 a passageway that extends from the hosel through the club head and opens at the sole, wherein the passageway is located on a heel end of the body and the passageway is configured to provide passage for an attachment screw; and 
 an adjustable shaft connection system for coupling a shaft to the hosel including a shaft sleeve that is secured by the attachment screw to the hosel, the shaft sleeve is configured to support the shaft at various positions relative to the club head to vary a shaft loft angle and shaft lie angle; 
 wherein:
 adjusting a position of the at least one weight member within the channel through an adjustability range produces a max change in a head origin y-axis (CGy) coordinate that is less than 3 mm throughout the adjustability range, produces a max change in a head origin z-axis (CGz) coordinate that is less than 1.1 mm throughout the adjustability range, and a max change in a head origin x-axis (CGx) coordinate that is greater than 2 mm throughout the adjustability range; 
 the channel extends from a heel-ward portion of the body located heel-ward of a geometric center of the face to a toe-ward portion of the body located toe-ward of the geometric center of the face; 
 the plurality of ribs are co-formed with the channel; 
 the channel comprises at least one ledge extending along the channel; 
 the at least one weight member comprises an outer member and an inner member; 
 the at least one weight member is configured to clamp the at least one ledge between the outer member and the inner member; and 
 at least one of the outer member and the inner member are non-circular; and 
 the channel comprises a recessed portion and the at least one weight member sits within the recessed portion of the channel. 
 
 
     
     
       21. The golf club head according to  claim 20 , wherein at least a portion of the face comprises a composite face plate. 
     
     
       22. The golf club head according to  claim 20 , wherein at least a portion of the face has a variable thickness with a maximum face plate thickness greater than 3.0 mm and a minimum face plate thickness less than 3.0 mm. 
     
     
       23. The golf club head according to  claim 21 , wherein the body comprises a front opening and the composite face plate is attached to an insert support structure located at the front opening; wherein the insert support structure at least partially surrounds the composite face plate and supports a rear surface of the composite face plate.